No Good Answers

In this episode recorded a week after the capitol building... riots? coup? idiotselfiepalooza? we, joined by Bo Bedingfield and Aubrey Kupstas, tackle the nature of truth, its elusiveness, and the emergence of truthiness and a culture that propagates relativity of evidentially true things.

In this episode Aubrey definitively deems Supermarket Sweep a sport, I turn rambling about competitive eating into an endurance sport, Gogi says making porn is too performative to be a sport, Ken turns organizing a list about what sports are actually sports a sport, Benjamin calls Hope a sport.

In this episode Ken has the greatest day of his life because taquitos, I have a fine dining experience at Terrible's, Gogi puts a high premium on froyo machines, Hope spies mid-pandemic crowds at the Mongolian BBQ.

In this episode we are joined again by Aubrey Kupstas and for the first time by Chirag Tasker, both of whom give us great perspective on the diversity of human personality.  Aubrey tells us what it's like to be an INFJ (along with MLK Jr. and Nelson Mandela), which is rarest type,  Chirag calls for a Myers-Briggs brand manager, the test tells Hope she has similarities to Don Knotts, Benjamin questions whether figure skaters even have personalities and then blindsides us all with a profundity bomb, I drink gin, Matt uses the test to shore up personal weaknesses, Gogi feels that she thinks that she thinks that she feels, Ken is, of course, the "walking contradiction" type.  Our sound bear lets us down but we persevere nonetheless.

In this special unedited episode we celebrate International Free Listening Day - April 11 - by talking with the founder of free listening and Urban Confessional, our very own Benjamin Mathes, and do a sample listening with Matt and Gogi.  We explore this curious phenomenon, why it gained such widespread popularity, and its effect on listener and listenee.

In this episode recorded days before Meghan Markle's Oprah interview we are joined by Xenia Boyes, a British-born geologist who shares her insider perspective on the royal family (spoiler alert: she sources most of what she knows from watching The Crown just like everyone else.)  Matt gives Jane Goodall the Freudian slip, Gogi throws open the doors to Buckingham Palace, I go to London and eat eel, Benjamin flexes his mastery of geology with a dad-joke meme.  And it turns out we all go too soft on the royals as we now know they're all just a pile of racists prats.  At least we got to call them inbreeds.

In this episode prolific dreamer Aubrey joins us to see if there's any real meaning to unlock from dreams or if they're just our nighttime brain waste.  Matt wears a light sweater and crushes our souls (unrelated (maybe?)), Hope gets a visit from a dark lord, Ken says we can't read in our dreams and we all lose our shit, I say the words "mental regurgitant".

In this episode we are rejoined by bird behavior expert Lori Luttrell as she once again lends her insight to the avian brain.  Matt reveals the birds aren't real movement, Ben's spicy college nickname is exposed, Hope is disgusted by dolphins, Gogi decides to avoid making a decision until one is made for her, Ken's dog Ghee makes a solid decision, and my dream of an international Franciscan Fried Chicken franchise hits a major snag.

In this episode Gogi introduces the crew to the concept of positive family tickles, Ken gets on his trusty research horse and connects tickling to fascists and Charles Darwin, Aubrey recalls a major family tickle faux pas, I almost decapitate a baby, Hope uses a head scratcher in a place other than designed, Matt sneezes(!) and wants a consensual all-bro tickle party.

In this episode, Vincent Tang joins us to give us an insight into the finer points of turning a conscious person unconscious.  Ken starts us off with some microphone jiu-jitsu, Hope tells two tales of getting a ball to the face, Matt waxes poetic on a tennis rally, Gogi updates all the jet-setting hedonists on Nepal's illegal substance policy, I get enthusiastically accosted by a bomb-sniffing dog at JFK Airport.

In this episode Gogi is buried in someone else's vegetables, Hope has a cinnamon raisin bagel hold the bagel, Matt has chicken and pancakes brotein-style, Ken gets all Carmen Sandiego on Hope's breakfast, our talking robot bear goes buckwild, I explain a joke.

In this episode we are joined by Amy Salley, lawyer, English language geek, and co-host of the "Hugo, Girl" podcast as well as Cristian, Hope's other half and a Spaniard who is fluent in English through immersion in America and its richest lexical motherlode - American television.  We manage to tap dance along a wide range of language-related concepts including code switching, oral posture, standardizing grammar, accents, and accent perceptions.  In addition, Ken shows us how not to roll your "r"s, I still have beef with Britain, Matt shows off his eeeeehhhhh, Benjamin lends his expertise as a vocal coach before we let down our guard and he steers us straight into the conversational ditch that is ultimate frisbee.  After you're done, go check out Amy's podcast Hugo, Girl here!

In this episode we take a stab at the "classic" holiday duet "Baby, it's Cold Outside" with a quartet of fantastic guests:  Bo Bedingfield of Bo Bendingfield and The Wydelles, the band behind our fantastic theme music, Olivia Barnum - a multi-faceted New Yorker lending a keen eye and voice to historical and current misogynistic practices, and returning with us are Megan Guinta and Shannon Zimardo, killin' it as usual.  We take a deep dive into not only the song but patriarchy as a whole, the very idea of cancel culture, what to do with artists behaving badly, and much much more.Our fundraising campaign has been revived for a second run!  Check it out to find your style at our Bonfire store.

In this episode Matt talks hidden pressures in the game of tennis, Ken tries to make a splash but doesn't know how, Gogi discusses running with the runs, I have no idea what a cannonball weighs, Benjamin casually drops the words, "...one of my teachers who is a Franciscan Friar..."----more----Post-wrap fact check - private school teachers are on average paid significantly LESS in the US than public school teachers----more----Remember to get your sweet sweet hoodie at our Bonfire fundraiser page!

In this episode we are joined by (Robot) Ben, a Ph.D. robotics student at CalTech, Megan Guinta, a gyrotonic instructor and thoughtful Christian, and Aubrey Kupstas, also a gyrotonic instructor and owner/creator of That's My Jam.  The conversation runs the gamut as we explore ethics as it might relate to robots together, including robot portrayal in pop culture, possible utilities to programming "religion" into artificial intelligence, consciousness and self-awareness in robots, whether or not autonomy can truly be achieved in an artificial intelligence, and on and on and on.  Our fundraiser is live!  Get your No Good Answers gear that doesn't say "No Good Answers" here.

In this episode we are joined by Jen Kouba, who together with Hope and Ken make a suspiciously well-crafted campaign for emigrating to Chicago - Jen also brings some of her professorial and life insights to help us dispel some of the more common and damaging misconceptions of living while homeless, Hope makes the mistake of mentioning Vermont within earshot of Ben, Benjamin gets choo-choo-choosy, Ken makes Hope stand in line for 4 hours for a hot dog, I eat bad figs, Matt eats good figs.----more----Check out our fundraiser page and get your sizzling fresh apparel while keeping us on air as well as helping Jen's organization Connections for the Homeless.

In this very special Halloween episode we are joined by very special guest Rob Lamb from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast who shares his holiday knowledge as well as the parent's perspective along with a surprisingly deep apple repertoire, Ken dresses up in a four-piece Canadian tuxedo, Matt has a festive soap that answers one candy corn question and leaves us with at least 10 more, Gogi shares her personal twist on childhood candy economics, I get all cranky about pumpkin spice, Ben shares his TJMaxxiphobia, Hope makes a costumed ode to Michael Chiklis.

In this episode we recruit Shannon Zimardo, Larry the Dentist, and Laurence Lebrecque as we fend off the zombie horde.  Shannon prepares us with her wealth of pop zombie knowledge, Larry is our eagle scout in shini - um, khaki - armor, Matt becomes the first zombie meteorologist, I hesitate to make the kill, Ken hunkers down as he looks forward to extra time for doing jigsaw puzzles, and after a lukewarm start to the apocalypse Laurence finishes strong as a threat to put down all comers - zombies, humans, herself.

We celebrate our 21st (episode) by getting our tipple on with friend of the pod Shannon Zimardi, I talk mad shit about screwdrivers and The Neverending Story (to Gogi's extreme disapproval) and Luke Skywalker, Gogi tracks down the origin of screwdrivers to an oil rig, Hope uses a screwdriver to fit into her wedding dress and... so does Ken?Plus, one and possibly more of us cry when watching The Fast and the Furious franchise, we referee the Sheetz v. Wawa showdown, and someone - not who you'd think, or maybe it is - shares their feverdream of Ben Affleck.

In this episode we chat with Brendan Willey, author, writer, author/writer, and possibly auteur writer, who gives us some simple but sage advice to young writers.  Benjamin reveals a somewhat Burroughsesque approach to his writing, Hope's favorite word is "bubble", I have a skin crawling experience, Ken inadvertently stirs some shaved ice controversy, Gogi shares the sounds of her teethbrushing.

In this episode Ken and Hope share their story that inspires this week's steaming question, Gogi hatches a poop pyramid scheme, Benjamin tells us where he lies on the poop spectrum, in Tommy Lee Jones Hope finds a schmear of potential poop positivity, Matt knows too much about poop postage, I go even money and pick up a deuce for a deuce, and Ken helps a lady friend relax.

In this episode Matt asks the pod the universal question pressing most urgently on his mind - which half of a sandwich comes first?  Gogi orders her sandwiches hold the flop, Ken makes a play to become Wawa's spokesperson, I say "like", like, a billion times.  Bonus question: after waiting for a subway train for 45 minutes, do you wait it out or give up and get a cab?

In this episode we are joined by Chris Biddle, my personal guru in the bootleg culinary arts, and are rejoined by Larry the Dentist, who once again we take all our simmering dental angst and unleash it upon him in a hailstorm of nonsense.  Matt punts the sports analogy and gives us a very nice explanation of statistics for the everyperson, Gogi gets Larry to shop for mayochup, Ken shops for riverfront property, Hope extols the virtues of Redbox, I mull over the chances of getting attacked by a shark while on a leisurely stroll, Chris shows us what not to put in a cinnamon raisin bagel, Benjamin gives us the recipe for jealous partner bathtub gazpacho.

In this extra fun (and somewhat chippy) episode we are joined by creator/owner/designer of Reservoir clothing brand Erin Murphy, who talks fashion in the time of corona and asks Ken how deep is his V - his V how deep is his V, she really wants to knowwww - and his reply is, er... backwards.  Benjamin proposes that I sound like a recent U.S. president, Hope unironically rocks a fanny pack, Gogi campaigns for an Osh Kosh adult line, Matt dismisses our notions of 24/7 beachwear in Los Angeles, Ken waxes nostalgic on a '02 Chevy Cavalier and the time Murph denied his application to be a model.  While you listen check out Erin as she combines timeless designs with highest-quality construction at www.reservoir.us and use the discount code nogoodanswers25 to receive 25% off!

In this episode a Space Force (we're for real here) contractor whose name we keep confoundingly ambiguous gives us the lowdown on all things intelligence and tells us the government can't keep a secret - exactly what a professional keeper of secrets would say.  Andrew returns to answer if flying saucers in the Southern Hemisphere spin in the opposite direction, Benjamin identifies as one who identifies the need to identify, Hope cheats at Duck Hunt, Gogi informs us our reviewer has a "sugar problem", Ken accuses Hope and I of being shrimp-tail-eating weirdos.  (Apologies for a few sound inconsistencies in this episode, remote podcasting is, alas, an imperfect medium)

In this episode new cast member Gogi Grewal makes a big splash by pointing out and then cannonballing into our lobotomy-sized void, Ben can see the donut universe in a crumb, I ramble for an impressively long time about donuts and trains, Matt hallucinates bagel holes, and Ken becomes our field correspondent and man-on-the-street by holding an impromptu live interview with a local Chicago donut artisan.  

In this episode I like piña coladas and have half a brain, Hope establishes that shrimp tails are food not garbage, Matt makes a beautiful metaphor between toes and humanity, and Ken gets extra jalepeños then regrets it afterwards while Benjamin has never met a bowel movement he didn't like.

The doctor, Larry Dougherty, is in for the second time and with our first guest question.  Our resident dentist shows some love to the Marlins, Laurence snuggles up to Patrick Roy, Hope is Browns' fans' number one fan, Ken reps Crystal Palace and futbol ecuatoriano, I put on a wicked okay Boston accent, Benjamin wonders what else you're lying about, and Matt is ready to fight for his Yankee honor.----more----If you're into the podcast, you should definitely subscribe to Ecce! Magazine, the visual counterpart to No Good Answers.  By doing so you're helping support No Good Answer, independent business, and keep one more artist from starving.  Subscribe at patreon.com/eccemagazine

In this episode, Hope establishes herself as the most hydrated podcaster in the game, Benjamin yells at Bradley Cooper, Matt is all about sex, drugs, and mac & cheese, I get all free willy, and Ken has an epic dream story and our incompetent recording robot bear mangles the tape so only we get to know what it was.  Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiig!!!!!

In this episode special guest Andrew Spiteri throws our Australian stereotypes onto the barbie, Ken uses haircuts as torture, I propose a bill for human immortality and get vetoed, Matt almost stresses about his hairline, and for her next trick Laurence saws an axolotl in half.

In this episode we are joined by the venerable Larry Dougherty, DDS, a professional dentist (not a hobby) who has never had to put a patient down.  Larry expertly fields all of our - I mean Hope's - dental queries, Laurence looks for a man with small hands, Matt tries to get his teeth fixed remotely, Benjamin would like to live in a state of legal restraint, I go shopping for a stick, Ken gets "whoops"ed.

In this episode Ken still has Teuthiphobia (consider yourself googlebaited), I impersonate a cartoon bear robot, Hope wants to put sleep to sleep, and Matt enforces a waiting period on teleportation.  Then Matt and Ken share their dreams.  No, not those dreams the other kind.  Visit our fundraising page now (ends July 3!) to get your No Good Answers swag and help keep our eclectic group on air and whispering sweet next-to-nothings in your ear.

In this episode, friend and bird research expert Lori Lutrell joins us and along with our resident veterinarian Laurence they steal the show, teaching us about bird behavior, intelligence, and vindictiveness.Visit our fundraising page now to get your No Good Answers swag and help keep our eclectic group on air and whispering sweet next-to-nothings in your ear.

In this episode Hope finds a catchphrase, Ken takes a bow, Benjamin orders a chicken sammie hold the pleasure, I eye a future as elevator song guy, Matt goes next level and says no thank you to your thank you, and Laurence says sorry to a garbage can.  Nab our swag, play buffalo, and support No Good Answers all at once!  Get your tank or t-shirt today, our fundraiser ends July 3!

In this episode Benjamin invents Googlebaiting(tm), Ken unearths some Jesus Jammies, I tee up on the back 9, Matt knows too much about bestiality, Hope has a tasty bowl of salsa.  Aaaaaand... we roll out our inaugural merch!  Buy our "Ken Sander drinks a beer and teaches the world buffalo" t-shirt and keep us on the air - take a look here

In this episode I get morbid but in a sentimental way, Benjamin has an oral fixation, Hope goes out in a Hearse (with balloons!), Matt works up an appetite, and Ken gives us the silent treatment.

In this episode Matt brings a bazooka to a dart fight, Ken shows off his true baseball skill set, Hope keeps saying balls, Benjamin wonders if it's patriotic to shoot up, and I lose our listener by talking about frisbee.

During the episode 3 sound check we trade urine stories.

In this episode Amanda attends a sausage party, Ken threatens to quit, Matt is shot but saved by a sandwich, Benjamin defends pb&j, Peter says chicken is bread, and I misuse literally (fuck me) and summon crickets.